Irvinebank
Postcode: 4887
A mining town which is a living museum.
At first glance Irvinebank looks as though it is nothing more than a newish pub, a few old buildings, a disused railway station and a tin mill which has fallen into disrepair. In fact it is one of those rare towns which is a kind of living museum: a place where time has stood still.
The town was named after the River Irvine in Ayrshire, Scotland, near the home of the town’s founder, John Moffat. In every sense Irvinebank is Moffat’s town. In fact locals claim that schoolchildren in the town used to say ‘God Bless John Moffat’ each morning in thanks to their benefactor.
The town’s economic viability (there are still nearly 120 people living around the town) depends on world prices for tin. The mill was once operating two 12-hour shifts, five days a week, but a downturn in tin prices has resulted in its closure.